Introduction
I have been using my trusty Canon 70-210 EF F4 (1987) zoom for a couple years and was looking to upgrade to a lens which has some form of vibration control as a feature.  Not only that, the Canon 100-300 EF I own is a very poor performer on the 300mm side.  I needed a lens that not only offered VC but also had the image quality at the longer end of the zoom range.

The Search
My search started, as do most searches, on the internet.  I read review after review and lens test after lens test.  There was a great deal of interest on my part with the Canon 70-200L F4 on just its reputation alone so that was an obvious choice for me.  The price of this lens ended up being about $200.00 more than I was really wanting to spend and this lens required a teleconverter to get to the 300 mm range I wanted to attain. By the way, the IQ of the 70-200 is amazing without a doubt, but the older version does not have image stabilization so I had to rule it out completely.  The rejection of this lens led me to the Canon 70-300 EF (non-L).  I read some great reviews but in the end I ruled this one out because of issues Canon was having with the IS when going vertical and the lack of full time manual focus.  I shoot a great many vertical shots and this was not acceptable.  I know that Canon will fix this at no charge but I did not want the hassle.  Finally I came across reviews stating how great the Tamron 70-300 DI VC was in both image and build quality.  Throw in the fact it also had full time manual focus and I was sold.  As soon as I got the funds together, I ordered a used model from KEH and thus began my journey with a 3rd party lens.  I will go through several sections including unboxing and the features of the lens then conclude with tests of the lens in the field.

Unboxing
The box arrived from KEH well packaged as usual. KEH is an amazing store for used camera gear and their customer service is top notch.  A first look at the Tamron lens revealed that it was larger and heavier than the comparable Canon lens. As with many modern lenses, the lens hood is tulip shaped and mounts in reverse on the lens when not in use.  The front element is a large piece of glass with a filter diameter of 62mm.  Because of this filter size, adding a polarizer could get a bit pricey, but for me this is not a reason to not buy a lens. The lens has a manual focus ring, a switch for turning on vibration compensation (VC) and one for switching to autofocus or manual.  Zooming is controlled by another ring at the front of the lens.

Features
The manual focus ring is heavy duty and is smooth to operate.  This lens has a feature called full time manual focusing which is often found on higher quality lenses.  What this means is the photographer does not have to flip a switch from autofocus to manual in order to focus the lens manually.  To some this may not be an important feature, but I am a bird photographer and many times I don't have time to flip to manual or adjust my autofocus points to get the shot.  Full time manual focus allows me to get the shot without frightening the subject.

Next, this lens has what Tamron calls vibration compensation (VC) which is their term for image stabilization (IS).  With the flip of a switch located on the side of the rear of the lens the VC is engaged.  VC will not help you if you are dealing with a moving subject since that is a concept called subject blur.  It will only help to shoot at a slower shutter speed with still subjects.  This happens more often for me when shooting animals or birds.  Often a bird is perched quietly in a tree in early morning but the light is too low to get a fast shutter speed.  This is an example of a perfect solution for this feature.  Photographers should note that you must turn this feature off when using a tripod and I have not tried it with a monopod.  Also note that VC will automatically detect panning to disengage the feature during the pan.

The zoom ring is top notch and I noticed no zoom creep.  I was especially impressed with this since it was a used lens.  I did notice that it took a couple seconds to fully zoom but this is a problem with the modern, non-pump style lenses.  Given enough time, I might get used to this and my speed improve.

Field Tests
First, let me just say that I am always skeptical of 3rd party lenses.  Not because they are horrible lenses but because of all the bad reviews on quality assurance.  Before starting the image analysis I can honestly say that first and foremost the quality of this lens is awesome.  With that in mind let us get down to doing some real tests.

There is a local organization in the Lake Norman area of North Carolina called the Carolina Raptor Center.  Each year they have special days when they close down so professional and advanced amateur photographers can come in and take photographs of the birds in their natural environments without being attacked by mobs of anxious tourists.  This event will be the backdrop for my field testing.  All of the test shots created at this event were created with the Tamron lens coupled to a Canon 1D Mark II.

I began shooting at around 10 in mostly open shade locations, handholding the camera with VC turned on. This shot below of the American Barn owl was shot at 1/200, 300mm, F8.  The sharpness of this lens is phenomenal at any price, but for a $280.00 used lens it is unbeatable.  Even at F8 my consumer grade Canon lens cannot match this. My Canon 1 Series camera has a 1.3x (1.255) crop factor and I noticed no issues with focus in the corners or center.  I am sure there was some degradation but  it was well under control.  The chromatic aberrations were minor and easily corrected in post processing.

American Barn Owl Tamron 70-300mm VC, 1/200, F8 at 300mm

This first image, although probably still hand holdable by some, to me should not be attempted at less than a 1/500 of a second shutter speed. The VC gave me the confidence to go a stop or two lower.  The next shot of this Eastern Screech Owl was shot at a much lower shutter speed of 1/100 of a second at F5.6.  This I know would not be possible for me at 300mm with a non stabilized lens.  I did use some fill flash here so some motion might have been stopped by that but not that much.  It was pretty low powered fill.

Eastern Screech Owl - Tamron 70-300 VC, 1/100, F8 at 300mm

Now, here is the bad news for me on the vibration compensation and why I have a hard time fully recommending it.  For my shooting needs I rarely got good results at greater than 1.5 stops.  Part of this I believe is because of the really heavy Canon 1 series body I use which was causing me to tire and the other problem is that the VC only holds while you have the shutter pressed halfway.  I don't know of a better way they could have designed it but it forces to the photographer to have to worry about both focus and making sure the VC has engaged and has locked down the image.  As you press the shutter down, the VC will attempt to stabilize the image and will visibly lock into place when it has the image vibration under control.  As I continued to tire throughout the day, it became harder to stay still and keep the lock in place.  This is the best way I can explain this and I might not be doing the lens justice by explaining it this way, but this was my feel or impression.  Having said all the negative, it was still a joy to have in place and ready to help me out.

Finally the lighting got a bit better and I turned off the VC.  The following image shows just how sharp this lens can get and why I highly recommend it for its image quality at 300mm.  The Bald Eagle below was shot at 5.6 and it is tack sharp.  At F8 I would not be surprised if the quality rivaled some of the expensive "L" quality glass.  I did find the contrast was a bit low and I had to crank it up in lightroom, but this is a minor issue to me.  If I was shooting slide film back in the 90s it would be an issue, but not in todays world of digital processing.

American Bald Eagle - Tamron 70-300 VC, 1/400, 300mm, F5.6

Before concluding I wanted to say a word about autofocus on this lens.  It was good but not great.  I put it up against close flying birds and it failed horribly but then again most lenses would have difficulty tracking close.  It did quite well on stationary birds and I noticed no problems with back focus or front focus.  The focus is sharp and that is really all I need to say.


Conclusion

In my mind Tamron met and in some cases exceeded my expectations.  The lens is built well, has good autofocus and decent image stabilization.  I highly recommend that anyone pro or consumer buy this lens.  You will not be disappointed.

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So I am  writing this post in hindsight after having a couple days rest and having time to contemplate my first 5K race. The race I completed, the Cougar Challenge, is a 5K to help support Calvary Baptist Day School in Winston-Salem, NC.  The event was held at the Bermuda Run Country Club just outside of Clemmons, NC and was open to anyone who wants to run.

Preparation for the Race
Oddly enough, because of several issues I have with my joints and shins, the only preparation I did came in the form of the treadmill.  I would run three days a week, each day getting progressively more difficult.  Mondays, would normally be a one mile walking warm-up followed by a 5K flat run.  Next, on Wednesday, I would usually take it up a notch by running 5 to 6 miles flat, with no incline.  Fridays were generally free for all in the sense that I could either do some hill training or run the 5K for speed.  During this training period I increased the intake of energy foods (eg. oranges) and fluids. In training I was never able to run the 5K faster than 29 minutes, but for someone who weighs 237 lbs this is probably pretty decent.

The Week Leading up to the Race
Unfortunately about a week and a half before the race, I was hit with what I believe to be a virus.  The doctors still do not know what I have but it is sapping my energy and causing me to sleep quite often.  So the week before the race I only got one run in and only ran 5K on the treadmill. On the day of the race I got up early, drank about 24 ounces of fluid and drank a protein shake instead of a meal.

The Race
First, since this was my first race, I had no idea what to expect beyond what I had read on the internet.  The morning was cool, so I wore my windbreaker over my sleeveless running shirt. I wore shorts with a spandex type of short under the regular shorts.  I have found the tight spandex greatly cuts down on chaffing and I highly recommend it as underwear for running.

Next, because it was so cool, I had to stay warmed up so I walked the parking lot and did some very slow jogging.  Just enough jogging to keep the blood flowing without causing me to breathe harder. After I felt my body was warmed up, I did some basic stretches to get my Achilles tendons stretched out.  I do this because this is generally where I have the most pain and lack of flexibility. I do not recommend stretching until you have warmed up the muscles and tendons thoroughly as this can result in a muscle tear.

As the race approached we all started to line up at the starting line. I threw my jacket behind a tree and checked my racing bib to make sure it was still fastened properly.  There were many different age groups present from 6 to 60 years old.  I lined up slightly toward the back since I was not sure how fast this group was going to be and it is considered poor runners etiquette to line up in the front if you are slow or unsure of the speed of the racers involved.  In a 3 mile race there is plenty of time to think about pace and passing other runners.

Finally, the horn sounded and we were off and running.  I was tucked into a pretty large group of people and it became difficult to find a pace and line to run in.  I guess this is the disadvantage of placing yourself back too far in the pack.  After about a quarter mile we hit our first hill and this caused everyone to break up.  The slower and untrained began to walk, while the rest of us kept some kind of running pace. I was able to find some daylight and break out a bit at this point.  Since this first hill was so early in the run, I had no real difficulty running it at at just a slightly slower pace.

The race continued and the course flattened out a bit.  This gave the runners a little breather, but the rest would be short lived.  Another hill was just ahead.  I could see the hill coming way ahead of time so I throttled back my pace a bit to help my heart and lungs recover. I knew as soon as I hit the incline, my heart rate would increase and I would risk getting winded.  This hill was not awful but it was long and keeping my heart rate low was difficult.  As I approached the summit, I knew that I would get a breather on the other side and was greatly looking forward to it. Just as I crested the hill, I saw the hill slope downward followed by another hill on the other side. At this point I began to think more about finishing without walking than finishing with a great time. I knew now that it was going to be a very hilly course.

I pressed on and passed a few folks here and a few folks there, but generally I had found a pace and so had everyone else. I was now about two miles in and I was feeling it.  My quads were starting to feel tired from all the hill climbing and my lungs were constantly being challenged.  I had  my iPhone with me also tracking my progress and when I hit the second to last hill at about 2.5 miles in, I was really feeling it.  I wanted to stop and walk badly but I would not allow myself.  I began to pray for strength like I never had before while running.  At times on the hills I don't know how my legs kept churning.  Finally, I could see the home stretch ahead and yep, you guessed it, another hill.  Not a bad hill but at this point in the race I was hoping for it to be flat so I could open it up.  I rounded the last corner on the hill and finished the race at 32 minutes and some change. I met my goal of not walking and had completed my first race.

Conclusions and Lessons Learned
The treadmill can be used as the sole training platform but it will not fill in some of the gaps such as effects of pavement on the joints and muscles and propelling yourself forward rather than propelling yourself along a moving belt.  It did adequately train me for the event but I would recommend running once in a while outside. Hill training is crucial when confronted with a course like this. Unfortunately I had never raced this course and could find no information on it online.  My feeling is that you should heavily train for hills three weeks before the event.  If you don't, you will never be able to run a competitive pace on a hilly course.  Considering the challenges before and during the event I am happy with my performance.  I think the overall winner came in somewhere around 20 minutes.

As far as my impressions of the course, I had mixed feelings.  On the one hand, the roads were well maintained and little traffic, but on the other hand, I really did not care for all the hills.  I felt like the hills were too challenging and caused me to run much more conservatively.  Had the course had more flat sections it would have allowed me to open it up and have a little fun. Furthermore, the actual finish line was on the summit of the hill, so the spectators could not cheer you on as you ran the last half mile. This made the finish rather anticlimactic to say the least. Of course I could just have easily turned that around and said that I was not prepared to run the hills and it was no fault of the course layout.  The bottom line is that I had fun and it was for a great cause.  Hey, if a fat 40 year old can do then you can too!

Now that I am into 2014, I am formulating my plans for taking my bird photography to the next level.  2013 yielded some good results but that was mainly the setup of a backyard birding test studio. This year I have plans to upgrade the bird studio and do some additional field work.  Below I am outlining how I will proceed.

UPGRADING THE BIRD STUDIO

In 2013, I had a single perch setup designed for the small species of birds commonly found around feeders.  There were plenty of Titmice, Sparrows and Finches.  Although I love these birds I want to expand into two separate perches this year to take advantage of several different types of birds.  

Large Woodpecker Perch 

Part of my experience in 2013 showed that we do have a fair population of woodpeckers and similar birds which feed on suet.  The perch will involve a larger vertical tree trunk supported on steel pole.  On one side, I will attach the suet feeder and drill holes for on the opposite side of the camera view to pack with peanut butter and seed.  I had some good luck with this approach in a test environment but my materials were a bit flimsy.

Building an Owl House

Largely this is an experiment, but hopefully I can attract some Screech or Barrow owls to nest.  Many time these houses are taken over by other critters such as squirrels but we do have a large rodent population here and good forest edge so I am hoping we may see some nesting.  Should this be successful I will attempt to do some remote photography of the owls.

Hummingbird Feeder Perch

In 2013 I was completely shocked by the population of Ruby Throated Hummingbirds we had.  I and my daughter could stand still out next to the feeder and the birds would swarm around us and feed.  They seemed very curious about who we were and were not intimidated at all.  Because of this success I am relocating the feeder to my outdoor studio and placing a small perch adjacent to it.

Adding a Bird Bath

There simply is not enough water on our property to adequately allow the birds to drink and bathe. In theory adding this will keep the birds closer and increase their visits to the perches.

Adding Squirrel Baffles

Although I love to watch the little critters, they are not helpful to bird photographers.  They are large and interfere with the birds feeding.  Although not completely squirrel proof, the baffles will help keep them at bay.

ADDITIONAL FIELD WORK

In 2013 I did very little field work.  I did travel to a local aviary and take some shots but really did not do any non-captive photography.  This year my main thrust is the capture photos of the various species of Heron.  These birds have a strong population in this area and so make a logical choice.  I may also venture out on some local Audubon Society walks but that is not a high priority.

EQUIPMENT UPGRADE

This is an area with which most photographers struggle.  For me, the choice is between upgrading the glass or getting a second body in a 1.6 crop factor.  

Camera Body Upgrade Option

My current camera body is a Canon 1D Mark II and frankly it is a great camera.  It does however have some limitations which hurt me in the area of bird photography. The first problem is that the sensor only provides an 8 Megapixel resolution and this resolution makes it difficult for cropping. I took several good photographs this year which ended up in the junk pile simply because cropping would be impossible.  The second issue with the 1D Mark II is that its sensor is really useless past ISO 400 and tends to mimic what film is capable of.  The noise is very pronounced and in the case of long exposures has some very bad hot spots. Finally, the body only has a 1.3 crop factor which can be limiting when used with shorter telephoto lenses.  If I upgrade to a 15 MP 1.6 crop body, it will turn my telephoto lenses into  much better birding lenses.  This is the cheapest way to improve the equipment.

Lens Upgrade Option

Currently I shoot a Canon 70-210 F4 and a Canon 100-300 5.6.  The 70-210 is actually quite a performer for a consumer grade lens.  The 100-300 was purchased primarily as a filler lens until I can afford something better.  At the 300 range, the lens is soft, even at F8, but sharpening does improve it quite a bit.  I am looking at upgrading to the 70-200L lens used for around $600.00.  This is twice as much as I would spend on the body upgrade in the used market.  Upgrading to this lens also gives me the option to add special Canon teleconverters to increase magnification without loss of quality.  The reality of it is that image quality is mostly from the lens.  Even with my 8MP camera, coupled with an "L" lens it will produce great photos. If I go this route, I am looking at probably 1,000 dollars after I buy the teleconverter.  Unlikely I will be able to swing this this year but who knows.  

CONCLUSION

Well that is pretty much it for this year in my bird watching and photography.  The upgrades to the outdoor studio start this weekend and I should be in a position to purchase new equipment within 6 months.  I am leaning toward the body upgrade because the pros of it outweigh the pros of the lens upgrade currently, but that may change.

The notion of the knights of the ancient European world is something that warms every ounce of the average westernized male.  We have visions of knights riding on beautiful steeds with large glistening swords at their sides as they fight dragons and save damsels.  There is nothing wrong with these images of knights as they help to solidify a sense of valor. There is an idea embodied here of fighting for a cause and saving humanity from the horrors of evil.

There is something else that belonged to these knights of old that seems to be largely forgotten.  They had a great deal of faith in God.  Make no mistakes, this God was not Buddha, Ganesha, Allah or the Great Spirit.  This was the God of the Christian and the Jew.  His compound name is El Elohim or Yahweh (the unpronounceable name).  The name was considered so sacred that no one was allowed to pronounce it and to this day no one even remembers how it was pronounced.  This is the God the knights worshiped.  The God who freed the Jew and the Gentile.

We can argue about the Crusades which followed later in the knights evolution as not being of God and there is certainly enough blame to be cast there but I would like to suggest that we take the best of the knights of old and make them our own.  I would like us to start a new era of morality based on the knights inner code of Christianity. This is what drove them to fight for those who could not fight.  To be the savior of the peasant and the king.

I want us to cast off immoral thoughts, pornography, adultery, lying, jealously and hatred.  I today, make this vow that I will do everything within the power of God and the power he has given me to never partake in these behaviors.  I vow to not drink alcohol or use profane language.  You are my God and I will be your knight and servant.  I will bring my sword of scripture to bear on your enemy Satan and his followers.  I will share my faith with others and make a difference for you.  I will exercise my mind an my body to be stronger. I will be a better father and husband.  You El Elohim are my God and there is none to compare!  I will worship you and cast off the sin around me every day.

I trust and hope that everyone who reads this will do the same. Join me in taking back the western culture for Christ, the Son of the Most High God!

It was a crisp, fall morning and my brother Rick, Mom, Gram and Gramp were off to pick some apples at the local orchard.  This had become quite a tradition for the family every fall.  We would often pick several bushels which would eventually turn into apple pies, apple sauce and apple grunt.  This morning was different from other apple picking ventures, because in the open trunk of our car, in a basket sat a new puppy.  A Brittany Spaniel (now called a Brittany) my brother had named Brandy because of her orange colored spots and ticking.  This brit was unhappy at recently being taken from the company of her  mother's warm protection and was letting us know by yelping at the top of her lungs.  Needless to say my brother and I took turns trying to comfort the poor dog but on she yelped.

We didn't know it then, but that morning would start a relationship that would change our lives in many ways.  Rick spent hour after hour training this dog to sit and lay down and retrieve birds.  Brandy loved feathers naturally and would immediately get excited whenever a pheasant tail was presented for play.  There was something happening here that I don't know if any of us intended.  Day by day this dog became less of Rick's hunting dog and more like the Cuda family dog.  Day after day this dog played with socks, feathers and swam in our pool with us.  She had a look of complete intelligence I have never seen on a dog and don't know if I ever will again.

Did she hunt you may ask?  I think she did go on a hunt or two but never went on many.  She was too involved in being a pampered family dog to dream about hunting.  She had it made.  All she had to do was flash those eyes and she melted our hearts.  She was the type of dog who would sit at your feet and respect you.  She was not prone to growling or biting and was always happy to see Dad or Rick come home. By the hour she would sit at the front window waiting for any sign of them.  She would only take time to eat and play a bit and back she was at her post.   She died of diabetes many many years ago but her memory lives on in each of us.

I thought I would just write down these thoughts as I think back on our childhood pets.  All I can say in conclusion is there will never be another dog like Brandy. She was the true embodiment of the notion of "mans best friend."

As I look out the window, I can see how the leaves are mostly fallen from the trees and I know that the best of the 2013 landscapes and outdoor photography are behind me.  Although North Carolina does offer the occasional snow, it is really not something the average photographer here can look forward too.  This year I spent a great deal of time hiking the mountains of North Carolina and enjoyed every minute of it.  Yes, even the day it poured rain on me.   So I guess today is a good day to show my top photos of the 2013 season.

Coming in at number one is "T-6 at Sunrise."  I really enjoyed shooting on this early Friday morning back in September at the Smith-Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem, NC.  I enjoy this photo because it was the photo that almost wasn't.  The morning was rather dark and dreary and only one pilot had shown up to uncover his T-6 and hang around for interviews.  About 30 minutes before I was about to leave, the sky opened up and lit the aircraft perfectly. As a side note this appears to also be the "people's choice" on my Flickr account.

T-6 Sunrise - T-6 Texan at the Smith-Reynolds Airport - © 2013 Matt Cuda

Next at number two is "Moravian Falls." This is one of those locations that has been photographed many many times, but I believe I managed to capture the falls in a more unique way.  I arrived very early on this summer morning just as the sun rose. The lighting in this little cove was so soft and calming that it seemed like every shot spoke to me.  I chose this one as the final shot from the day as it emphasizes the cascading creek in the foreground, tapering back to the actual falls before your eyes leave the photo.  This shot was featured as a winner in a KEH photo contest and won best in show at the Stokes County Fair.

Moravian Falls - © 2013 Matt Cuda

Number three is "F-86."  I like this image first because it is an iconic aircraft from the 1950s.  It was made famous shooting down Soviet made aircraft during the Korean War over "Mig Alley".  Beyond that the aircraft is interesting in that it is in a nice knife edge set against the contrast of the clouds and blue sky.

F-86 Sabre - © 2013 Matt Cuda

Next at number four is "Titmouse."  Although the name is very odd, I find the Tufted Titmouse a very inquisitive and spirited bird.  This image seems more striking than others I have taken of the Titmouse because first, it shows the bird perching on a vertical surface, and secondly it has a spider web spread across its head. The spider web shows just how much this bird forages through underbrush to find other food sources such as insects and spiders.  The photo is not technically perfect but I really enjoy it from a journalistic perspective.

Titmouse -  © 2013 Matt Cuda

At five is another waterfall that seems to keep grabbing my attention. Maybe I am a sucker for fall color or maybe I just like the serenity of cascading water.  From a technical perspective, I do like the rushing water in the foreground and the strong yellow color of fall contrasting against the soft lighting on the falls.  This photo was featured as a KEH photo of the month for October 2013.

Triple Falls - © 2013 Matt Cuda

Water was certainly a big theme this year.  At number six is a stunning falls I found in the South Mountains of North Carolina called High Shoals Falls. Photographs cannot do this falls justice in scale and beauty. Surrounded by beautiful boulders and awesome greenery, it is a symbol of total relaxation. Forget about the horrors of life because here you enter the presence of one of God's best paintings.

High Shoals Falls - © 2013 Matt Cuda

There were several others I would like to put out here but I guess I should just end it here.  What a great year of photography.  I can't remember having this much fun with photography since I was back in college.  Special thanks to my friend Buck, who went out shooting with me a couple times this year.  Also thanks to my brother Rick and his son Thomas for some good photo ops in Pennsylvania and upstate New York. I really enjoyed it.  God's creation has been a special theme in my photography and he doesn't disappoint me with his never ending canvas of color we call nature.  It is so easy to forget just how stunning our God's artwork really is.  See how intricately the feathers of the bird are woven together. This is not only so it can stay warm and fly but so it can show God's artistic side.  The raw power of water as it drops 60 feet into a dark pool, surrounded by giant boulders. Contrast that scene of rugged beauty against the soft sounds of a babbling mountain brook.  We can never accomplish this kind of art.  All we can do is capture it on canvas or film or some other medium and hope that somehow it can be done a fraction of the justice the real scene deserves.

Recently, while on a tight budget, I purchased the Vivitar 19-35mm AF lens for my Canon EOS 1D Mark II camera body.  Mainly I wanted a lens in the ultra wide category for tight scenics and this lens fit the bill. I bought the lens from auction on ebay for about $50.00 in like new condition. It came with the original box, a lens hood and lens cap.

Lens Build
The build of the lens is consistent with most of the affordable lenses in this category.  It made entirely from plastic but does have a metal mount.  Like most Vivitar products it was created by other manufacturers and marketed under the name Vivitar.  The plastic lens hood that comes with it is acceptable but you may wish to purchase something a little bit better to cut down on flare. It also sports a 77mm filter diameter which can be costly when compared to the price of the lens.

Autofocus
First, I need to say that the autofocus works quite quickly except for some minor connectivity issues causing the autofocus to not engage properly.  To overcome this I had to really snug the lens down one more time after it clicked into place.  The focus speed of the lens was as quick as any of my Canon lenses so I feel like it is a non-issue.  I have heard other complain about a noisy focus with this lens but I was satisfied with the noise from the motor. Perhaps they are comparing the noise to the "L" quality lenses which is really just silly.

In the Field
After purchasing the lens, I took it out for two days of shooting waterfalls in western NC.

My first test was to shoot Looking Glass Falls located in the Pisgah National Forest.  I have photographed this falls in the past so I thought it would make a good test subject.  After shooting the falls from several angles I returned back to the cabin for post process and a good look at the results. I found the color to be warm which is ideal for this type of shooting.  The edges look like they lose resolution slightly but it was an adequate performer.  Below is the most straight forward shot of the falls.

Looking Glass Falls - Canon EOS 1D Mark II,  Vivitar19-35mm AF (At 19mm), 4 seconds, ISO 50

Next, I took the camera to Pearson Falls in Saluda, NC.  The lens performed quite well, but it has its own unique style compared to Canon lenses.  It has good contrast and a nice warm color to it.  This may not work for you if you prefer a cooler temperature. Especially if you shoot film and do not have control over white balance.  Sharpness was better than adequate and was quite close to my 22-55mm Canon kit lens.  Below is the image taken near Pearson Falls...

Pearson Cascade - Canon EOS 1D Mark II, Vivitar 19-35mm AF (at 19mm),  F22, 8 seconds, ISO 50

Conclusion

If you are on a budget, which most of us are, this is a fairly good performer and will not disappoint the average weekender out there.  A professional might need a little more resolving power but then again, I assume if you make money from your photography you wouldn't be looking at an inexpensive lens.  By the way, I don't believe in looking at charts of lens tests to figure out which lenses to buy. The best way to decide if you like the lens is rent it or buy it and give it a try.  If it works for what you want it for then do not feel like you need to go higher in price on a lens. I doubt I will keep this lens forever but for now it fills a need in a poor economy.